Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 27, 1931. J 5 m REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 27, 1931.

J. G. KI NG REFRIGERATING APPARATUS '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 30, 1927 v l uhf i hrll Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE G. KING, or DAYTON, 0310, AssIGNoE, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, "r EEIGIDAIEE CORPORATION, A coEroEA'rIoN or DELAWARE BEFBIGERATING APPARATUS Application fled November 30, 1827. Serial No. 238,722.

The present invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and more particularly the cold producin or refr gersting elements used in mechanical refrigerutOrS'.

It is an object of the invention to provide s=n improved refrigerating element particu- Early adapted for use in large commercial refrigerators. The invention contemplates the provision of a refrigerating element which will efiiciently cool relatively large commereial cabinets and whose parts are so constructed and arranged as to permit easy handling without engendering undue stresses and strains on the joints of the element.

The invention also contemplates so constructing the refrigerating element that the frost which may build thereupon and thus exert weight n on various parts thereof Wlll not injure the oints of the elements.

Further objects and advantages of the resent invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present inventlon is clearly shown.

In the drawings Fig. 1 represents a top view of the 1mproved refrigerating element of the invenuon- Fig. 2 shows a side view of the saine;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the refrigeratlng element; and I Fig. 4 illustrates a large commerc1al refrigerator cabinet equipped with the 1mproved refri "eratin element of the invention; said cabinet being provided with means For producing an efficient circulation of chilled air.

Referring in detail to thedrawings,'it will be observed that the improved refrigerating clement comprises a header which serves a container for a refrigerating medium which m'ay, for example, be liquid sulphur dioxide. This header serves to distribute the refrigerant to'ducts or pipes hereinafter described in detail. The refrigerating medium is led into the header by means of a pipe 11 and is led oif therefromabove the liquid level in the tank by means of a pipe 12; a

suitable float valve, such as that diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2 as 23 is used to control the flow of refrigerant to the header and is ada ted to maintain a constant level of liquid in the tank.

A series of cooling coils or refrigerant citculatory pipes which are formed of a plurality of dependent ducts or loops of pipes are connected to the header in parallel circuit relation as shown in the drawings in Figs. 2 and 3, the joints being soldered to insure a tight connection. These ducts extend downwardly into the air cooled by the refrigerating element. The loops or ducts constituting the system of circulating ducts are constructed substantially as follows: Each loop has a vertical leg 13, (Fig. 2) depending vertically downwardly and offset laterally a substantial distance from the header 10 as well as another leg 13' which extends in a similar manner but on the opposite side of the header. These loops are joined by horizontal pipes or ducts arranged in two systems or sets, the bottom set consisting of ducts 14 to inclusive being relatively long and adapted to connect the vertically depending legs or ducts 13 and 13' while the other, upper set, likewise horizontal, is composed of shorter members 14 to 20' which connect the vertically depending ducts 13 and 13' with the header. In Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the duct loops comprising the vertically depending legs 13 and 13' and the joining members or connecting pipes are composed of individual duct loops each of which may individually be considered as a loop system of its own, dependent in a plane which is substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the plane of the header. All but the two exterior or most latemily disposed loops are of the same size, but bent away from their neighboring loops. In this manner only two sizes of loops are necessary. These loops are preferably so arranged that the refrigerating element constitutes a symmetrical unit by having half of the vertically disposed loops on one side of the header arranged exactly like the vertically disposed loops on the other side of the header. a central duct loop 17 being considered a dividing plane. The duct loop systems are connected withthe header I a fin 21composed of a good heat conducting material such as copper, the said duct loops being attached thereto in good thermal relation as by soldering or the like. These fins increase the effective cooling surface of the ducts. The symmetrical arrangement above mentioned may be preserved by attaching the fins to one side of the coils located on one side of the header and to the other side of the coils located on the other side of the header, as shown in Fig.3.

Tie rods or braces 22 are attached at intervals on the fins to prevent distortion during handling.

It is ap arent that the structure above described furnishes a refrigerating element which is capable of be ng built in large sizes. for exam le comparable to that of a cake of ice. find that the fins produce large heat absorbing surfaces and passage-ways which aid in circulating and guiding the air cooled by the refri erating ducts.

Fig. 4 shows the improved refrigerating element mounted in a large commercial refrigerator cabinet. The refrigerator comprisesa' cabinet having anexterior wall and impervious interior lining 31, the space 32in the walls being filled with corkboard or similar heat nsulating material. A door 33 is rovid d which mav be constructed solid like t e walls. or if desired provided with a I glazed po ion. the glass anels 34 of which ser e to afl'ord a view of the inside. P

The iynprovedrefri eratin e ement ab ve descr bed is mounted in a chilling cham r 35 w thin'the refri erator cabinet. this chilling chamber comprising a heat insulated 'wall 36 so arran ed as to f rm upper an ower flues 37 for the circulation ofa r. The refrineratin e ement is support d bv a an er svstem composed of braces 38- and han er bars '89. the latter being preferahlv at ached to the inside ton of the cab net. .It is one of the features of the invention to support the refri eratin element in the cabinet hv means of its fins. For this urpose the straps 38 pass com letelv around the finned body of the element and thus obviate stresses as well as simplify the installation and removal of the element. In this manner stresses are avoided and damage to the soldered ioints, e. g. at the points where the loops en- -ter' the header is avoided. Such stresses are ordinarily caused by handling during in' stallation, and during use by the frost which forms on the element, the frost acting'by its weight to produce strains on the joints of the apparatus.

A drip board 40 of any suitable type is preferably disposed beneath the refrigerating element and connected with a drain 41 for removing drippa e water when the refrigerating element is ing defrosted. This drip board may, if desired, also serve as part of the structure of the chilling chamber 35, suitable provision being made for insuring'a correct circulation of chilled air as by spacing the pan from the wall. Hooks 42 and other means such as shelf 43 for supporting meat, etc., form part of the usual structure of the cabinet.

In the operation of the refrigerator, cold air coming from the chilling compartment passes downwardlythrough the lower flue'37 afterbeing partly deflected bv the bafile 40 servingas the drip board. 'Thecold air'is directed over any meat hanging on the books 42 or located otherwise in the body 44 of the refrigerator. The air heated by contact with food in the refrigerator ascends and re-enters the chilling chamber throughthe upper flue 37 to be there cooled and recirculated as before. 1 i I It is apparent that the refrigeratingele ment maybe used in lieu of ice cakes and that the spread ofv the fins makes the element applicable for producingeflicient cooling since the cooling effect of ice is merely that pro duced by the lapping of air over the surfaces of the ice cake. It is obvious that the finned loops present parallel passage-ways which in addition to having'a far greater total area than is presented by the surface of a block of ice. promote also a very eflicient circulation of air.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1.. Refrigerating means for mechanically refrigerated cabinets comprising an elongated header adapted to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, and ducts depending from said header for receiving liquid refrigerant therefrom and extending longitudinally beyond opposite ends of said header.

2. A cooling element for mechanical refrigerators comprising an elongated header adapted to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, and a series of ducts depending from the header for circulating liquid refrigerant, said ducts projecting longitudinally beyond the opposite ends of said header.

3. Refrigerating means for mechanically refrigerated cabinets comprising an elongated header, and a plurality of'duct loops connected with said header and extending longitudinally beyond opposite ends of-said header. a

'4. Refrigerating means for mechanically refrigerated cabinets comprising an elongated header adapted to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant ducts depending from said header and extending longitudinally beond opposite ends of said header, said ducts being provided with fins attached in good thermal. contact to said ducts.

5. Refrigerating means for mechanically refrigerated cabinets comprising an elongated'header, and a plurality of duct loops connected with said header and extending longitudinally beyond opposite ends of said header, said duct loops being provided with fins attached in good thermal contact to said ducts.

16 6. A refrigerating element for mechanical refrigerators comprising an elongated header, a series of duct means depending from said header and connected thereto in parallel circuit relation, certain of said duct means having one vertically depending leg located laterally ofiset to one end of said header and another vertically depending leg located laterally offset to the other end of said header.

7 Arefrigerating element for mechanical refrigerators comprising an elongated header, a series of duct means depending from said headerand connected thereto in parallel circuit relation, certain of said duct means having one vertically depending leg located laterally offset to one end of said header and another vertically depending leg located laterally offset to the other end of said header. said vertically depending legs being joined at their bottom by a relatively long horizontal duct extending in the same longitudinal direction as the body of said header and said vertically depending ducts being connected to said header iiv short horizontal ducts sub- (sitantially parallel to said long horizontal uct.

8. Arefrigerating element for mechanical refrigerators comprising an elongated header, a series of duct loops depending from said header and connected thereto in parallel circuit relation, said loops extending parallel to the body of said header and having one vertically depending leg located laterally offset to one end of said header and another vertically depending leg located laterally oil'- set to the other end of said header, said vertically depending legs being joined at their bottom by a relatively long horizontal duct extending in the same longitudinal direction as the bodvof said header and said vertically depending ducts being connected to said header by short horizontal ducts substantially parallel to said long horizontal duct, each duct loop being ofiset laterally from its neighboring parallel duct loop.

9. A refrigerating element for mechanical refrigerators comprising an elongated header, a series of duct means depending from said header certain of said duct in 5 extending longitudinally beyond one end of the 66 header and certain of said duct means exnature.

JESSE G. KING. 

